Lighting fixture



ug. 22, 1939. L Q DQANE 2,170,189

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed May 29, 1937 24 2Q la lNvENToR iwf DOA/v5. 50 BY Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTING FIXTURE Leroy C. Doane, Meriden, Conn., assignor to The Miller Company, Meriden, C'onn., a corporation of Connecticut The present invention relates to lighting fixtures and is more particularly directed toward hinge mechanism for lighting iixtures of the ceiling type.

The present invention contemplates lighting xtures having a recess in the lower face adapted toreceive a shade supporting band and apertured to receive hinge elements carried by the band. This band may be a continuous band or a split band, and a single hinge supporting element carried by the continuous band or two hinge forming elements carried at the ends of the split, Ithese elements being adjacent and passing through the aperture.

According to thepresent invention the hinge element or: elements are hook shaped, the hook l facing downwardly and inwardly, and the frame or support isprovided with an upwardly extending element below the aperture which engages the hook shaped elements, so that the shade supporting band and shade are secured against accidental separation of the. parts when the shade is opened and hangs downwardly. Y' The present invention is also directed toward lighting fixtures having an improved form of catch mechanism for securing the shade in closed position, and toward lighting fixtures having p6- ripheral finishing walls adapted to conceal the hinge and catch mechanisms.

The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, several embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being lunderstood that the drawing is illustrative of Athe invention rather than limiting the same.

In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through one formv of lighting fixture adapted for employing cast supporting parts, the section being taken on line I-I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the same with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 1, showing the hinge completely open;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through an extruded member adapted for form? ing the shade supporting band and showing the ilange of the shade received therein;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional'view through a modified form of construction, particularly adapted for utilizing sheet metal parts;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 676 of vFigure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view taken on the same plane as Figure 5, but showing the hook shaped member swung far enough to permit its 5r removal; and V Figure 9 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of construction.

In Figure 1 a supporting frame is indicated generally by the Vreference character III. This frame may be-recessed to enter into a ceiling, or may be flat and may either be rectangular, round or any otherY configuration depending upon the type of fixture in which it is used. For convenience in illustration the lamp bulbs I I are shown as being supported from this frame I0. The frame has a flat gasket-receiving face I2 adapted to engage the band or ring carried about the lamp shade.

Outside this flatl face I2 is a downwardly extending Wall forming member I3 which provides a recess of annular or other shape. The frame extends outwardly from the bottom of the recess forming wall I3 and upwardly, as indicated at I4 and I5, to provide an external iinish for the fixture. The parts I3, I4 and I5 provide a peripheral channel, while the part I5 forms a ceiling engaging element.

The shade is indicated at 20 and it may have any desired shape, but is here for convenience shown as being generally rectangular and provided` with a closed bottom and a peripheral flange 2I (Figure 4). This flange is received in a band 22, here vshown in the form of a channel shaped piece of extruded metal. The band is split, as indicated at 23 (Figure 2), and the ends of the band are provided with hook shaped members 24 and 25. These hook shaped members pass through an opening 26 in the side wall I3 of the recess in the main supporting frame, In the form shown in Figure 2 a screw 21 passes through the hook shaped members to clamp the bandon the flange of Ithe glass.

The aperture 26 does not extend all the way to the bottom of the ychannel formed by the elements I 3, I4 and I5, and hence an upwardly extending element 28 is provided to intercept the sliding movement of the bottom of the hook shaped member or members 24 and 25.

When the shade and band are swung a little to the left of the position shown in Figure 3, the hook shaped members may be passed through the opening 26 and thepoint 29 of the hook shaped members willdrop in behind the elevation 28. The shade may then hang freely and the iiange 45 of a shade 46.

the interengagemen-t of the hook shaped member and elevation 28 will prevent accidental separation. As the shade is swung up to the closed position the hook shaped member may move outwardly from the dot-and-dash line position of Figure l to the full line position of Figure 1 and the bo-ttom of the hook shaped member will rest on the bottom of the channel, thereby assuring that the band will be at the proper elevation relative to the frame. As these hook shaped members may be slightly resilient they form springs to hold the band tightly against the gasket.

In the form of construction shown in Figures 1;

and 2 the fixture is provided with a catch mechanism opposite the hinge. This comprises a plate member 3G secured to a bolt 3l extending down through the frame as shown, and provided with a slot to receive a screw driver, whereby the plate may be swung about. The plate is adapted to pass through a slot 32 in the wall I3 and enter a slot 33 in the shade separating band 22, the flange of the shade being out away to accommodate it.

In Vthe constructionshown in Figures 6 and 8 the shade support is in the form of a sheet metal stamping l0 having recess forming'wall 4l apertured at 42 to receive the hook shaped members 43 carried on the ends of a split sheet metal band M. This band is shown as being secured about The construction shown in these figures functions substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, except that the width of the aperture 42 is such that it acts on the sides of the hook shaped members i3 to prevent their spreading, and hence the-band` is held tightly about the shade by the engagement of these hook shaped members with the side walls of the aperture.

The fragmentary showing of Figure 9 illustra-tes a` frame which may be made the same as that of Figure l, and the same reference characters are applied. Here the hook shaped member 50 is Secured by rivets 5l to a shade 52 made of moulded plastic material.

Where the hinge features of the present invention are embodied in xtures having continuous bands instead of split bands, it is apparent that a single hook shaped member may be used instead of two hook shaped members at the ends of the band, also that a single hook shaped member vwill suflice where the ends of the split band are held together by means other than the hook shaped member. Where theY invention is applied to fixtures having annular shade supporting bands, these may be `threaded'to co-operate with threaded shades instead of channel shaped to co-operate with flanged shades.

It is Vobvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructio-ns within the scope of the claims andI wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but a few of the many forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting fixture having a substantially horizontal xed frame provided with a recessed lower face in the side wall of which is an aperture, a shade having a peripheral edge, a band fitted about said edge and receivable in the recessed face, and hinge connections between the band and frame comprising a downwardly opening hooked member carried by the band disposed in a vertical plane and extending through the aperture in the side wall of the recess, the frame having an elementiunder the Vend of the hooked member which supports the hooked member and band when the shade is in closed position and having an upwardly extending hook engaging element which prevents Sliding the hooked member' out of the aperture when the shade and band hang down.

2. A lighting fixture having a substantially horizontal xed frame provided with a recessed lower face in the side wall of which'is an aperture, a shade having a peripheral edge, a band fitted about said edge and receivable in the recessed face, and hinge connections between the band and frame comprising a downwardly opening hooked member carried by the band disposed in a vertical plane an-d extending through the aperture in the side wall of the recess, the frame having an element under the end of the hooked mem.- ber which supports the hooked member and band when the shade is in closed position and having an upwardly extending hook engaging element whichprevents sliding the hooked member out of the aperture. when the shade and bandihang down,..andY an upwardly extending outer wall opposite the aperture and spaced from therecess wall to accommodate .the hooked members.

3. A lighting'fixture suchv as claimed in claim 2, wherein theY outer wall extends about the periphery of the frame and having a band support opposite ,the hinge and concealed behind the peripheral wall.

4. In a lighting fixture, in: combination, a shade having a peripheral edge, a split band adapted when open to receive said edge and when closed to embrace said edge, a normally horizontal frame having a downwardly opening recess Yto receive the band and enclosed edge of the shade, and an aperture in the side wall of the recess, the band having hinge forming ,members extending through the aperture, the ends of the hinge forming members being hook shaped and the frame below said aperture having an upwardly extending element Yto intercept said hook shaped ends and prevent separation of the band from the frame when the shade hangs down and is supported thereby, the width of theaperture being such as to prevent spreading of the ends of the band.

5. In a lighting fixture, a support having a recessed face whose Vside wall is apertured, a shade, a split band engaging the periphery of the shade, outwardly extending members carried at the ends of the split band and extending through the aperture, anda cross piece connecting `the ends of the outwardly extending members to prevent separation of the ends of the split band and release of the shade, the ends of the members extending forwardly and engaging with the opposedv portion of the support to holdV the bandragainst the recessed face when the shade is in closed position.4

6. In a lighting fixture, a channel shaped shade carrying band having an aperture in its side-wall, a support recessed to receive the band and having an aperture opposite the band aperture, a catch pivoted on the support and swingable into and out of the two apertures, and a catch operatorrextending down through the support.'

'7. A lighting fixture such as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hinge forming members vextend inwardly through the material of the band and have bent inner ends secured to the band, and the shade is recessed to accommodate said inner ends. Y

8. In a lighting xture, a Vshade having a peripheral rim, a split band of channel cross sec- 75 tion about the rim, outwardly extending members at the ends of the band and a supporting frame having a face to receive the rim, and a laterally opening aperture to receive the Out- Wardly extending members, the members being shaped to engage behind the frame wall and prevent separation of the band from the frame except when the plane of the band is'within predetermined angular relation with the plane of the frame.

9. A ceiling lighting fixture having a supporting frame provided with a channel shaped peripheral portion, the outside wall of the channel being a inishing element adapted to engage the ceiling and the inside Wall of the channel defining an opening for a shade, said inside wall having an aperture whose bottom edge is spaced above the bottom of the channel, whereby an upwardly extending element is provided, a shade receivable in the shade opening, and a down# wardly opening hook shaped shade supporting member Whose end rests on the bottom of the channel when the shade is in closed position and whose shank extends out through the aperture above said element, said member being adapted to receive the upwardly extending element when the shade hangs down, its weight being supported by engagement of the end of the hook shaped member with the bottom of the channel.

10. A lighting xture having a substantially horizontal iixed frame provided with a recessed lower face in the side wall of which is an aperture, a shade supporting band receivable within the recess and having a member extending through the aperture in the side Wall of the recess, the end of the member having a downwardly opening hook below the level of the member and spaced from the band, the frame having an upwardly extending hook engaging element which prevents sliding the hook out of the aperture when the shade hangs down, and a platform extending outwardly from the hook engaging element to support the hook and along which it slides in opening and closing the shade.

LEROY C. DOANE. 

